One
of my good sources in Spain shared what he said are additional official
Microsoft delivery targets with me this week. To be clear: This
information is from one source only. But these jibe with previously
rumored targets I've been hearing from other sources on various product
due dates for a while now. With those caveats, I'm going to publish
these "whisper dates," even though Microsoft isn't confirming them.

In addition to Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, here's what's coming in the next few months, according to my contact:

Latest Windows Azure updates: August (RTM); September (GA). (Note: I am thinking these updates are the ones that Microsoft announced as their Azure "spring updates" and that are available in preview form.)

Visual Studio 2012: August (RTM and Price List); September (GA)

Microsoft Dynamics NAV: September (RTM); October (GA)

Windows Phone 8: September (RTM for "Apollo" OS); November (GA for first devices)

Office 15: October (added to price list); November (RTM); February 2013 (GA)

I
had heard previously some talk that Microsoft might be working to hold
some kind of a "launch" where it could announce immediate availability
of both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices, but based on these new
dates, it looks like any kind of orchestrated launch event would seem to
need to be later than October 26. (However, for what it's worth, I
also am still continuing to hear a Build 2.0 type developers conference is still happening this year, likely in October, as I've noted previously.)

First on Windows Phone 8: As one reader noted, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop told the New York Times that the Windows Phone 8 software would be "released" in October. Elop
may mean Microsoft will be releasing it at that time (following a
September RTM) to phone makers. Or it could mean Microsoft is going to
allow Nokia to go out with Windows Phone OS 8 devices before other phone
makers do in November. It's also good to remember that Microsoft can
(and has) "launched" products without them actually being available to
customers until some time after the "launch" event.